This is actually the propaganda war used by Shen Bing.
It is actually very difficult to fight a propaganda war in this era because the propaganda tools during this period are very backward.
Radio?
trumpet?
television?
…
None at all.
If you want to distribute leaflets, you may have to work overtime to make thousands of bamboo slips, and then transport these thousands of bamboo slips to the enemy's territory... If you are lucky enough not to be discovered by the enemy, you will have to distribute the bamboo slips everywhere, but they have to be stuck on the wall. It's all very difficult.
But with paper, this becomes easier.
It's much easier to write in the first place.
Shen Bing didn't want to use printing technology yet, so he used a simple and direct method: gathering all the literate people in Shouchun, setting up a sample and letting them copy it day and night.
Needless to say, the source of paper was all Shen Bing needed to do was build another papermaking workshop in Shouchun.
Fusu was the supervisor of the Liang Army, so nothing could be hidden from him.
Are you kidding, the so-called "supervisory army" means that the king sent you to monitor this army, and you still hide it from him? That is almost deceiving the king and intending to rebel.
However, Shen Bing had no intention of hiding it from Fusu, and there was no need to hide it.
Fusu was very interested in papermaking. After all, he had stayed under the great scholar Chun Yuyue for so many years, and he was naturally good at calligraphy and writing under the influence of his influence.
Fusu carefully read the entire production process. When the pieces of paper were peeled off the copy board, his eyes widened in surprise, and then he asked Shen Bing angrily:
"May I ask, Lieutenant General, how much does it cost to make a piece of paper?"
Shen Bing answered truthfully:
"My subordinates have never calculated it because it costs almost nothing."
If there is any cost, it is buying some wooden barrels, copy boards and the like.
Of course, this is also because Shen Bing is the deputy general and has tens of thousands of free labor, otherwise the labor cost still has to be calculated.
Fusu said angrily:
"Since there is no cost, why does a piece of paper cost ten yuan in another city?"
"Do you know, Lieutenant General, that many people are scrimping and starving for half a month just to buy a piece of paper?"
This is true. Although the price of paper has been reduced to five yuan in Daliang Yuntian, it still costs eight yuan, ten yuan or even higher in other places.
Ten yuan is two kilograms of rice.
At this time, food is already very tight. In order to save two kilograms of rice, we reduce our food intake, so it is common to be half hungry and half full for the first half of the month.
Shen Bing replied:
"Young Master, what you said is wrong."
"We never used the paper for sale, we only used it to pay off debts."
"As for the price of paper in the market, it has nothing to do with Daliang Jun."
Fusu thought about it and felt that Shen Bing was right. He had spent a lot of money to buy a lot of paper, so he knew its origin.
But Fusu was still aggrieved:
"However, the deputy general became an accomplice of profiteers."
"If its cost is so cheap, why doesn't Lieutenant General make it convenient for the world to sell it at a low price?"
Shen Bing replied:
"Sir, first of all, we are not allowed to do business as soldiers."
"If we are allowed to do business, this piece of paper will be sold for half a penny, and I, Shen Bing, will become rich overnight."
"Secondly, Master, do you think that if the price of paper becomes cheaper, it will be more convenient for the world?"
"Young master should know who most people need paper!"
When he said this, Fusu was speechless.
Because those who want to use paper will never be ordinary people working in the fields, or even ordinary scholars...
The reason is very simple. Ordinary poor scholars will still use bamboo slips due to cost issues, but they are more troublesome and not portable enough.
The reason why some people go out of their way to buy paper when they are hungry is because they are trying to be new and fashionable, and it is not necessary to use it.
So most of the people who need to use paper are wealthy dignitaries.
Fusu, for example, never used bamboo slips when writing and painting since the advent of paper.
So at this time, the price of paper is high, so it is appropriate to rob the rich and give to the poor...rob the rich of the high-ranking officials and give to the poor like Shen Bing.
One day, when the education penetration rate is high and ordinary people can write and have a demand for paper, then the price of paper will affect ordinary people.
Then Shen Bing added:
"However, if you want to use paper, you can come and get it at any time."
Fusu said "hum" without replying.
Fusu himself didn't understand what was going on. He couldn't stand Shen Bing's behavior but couldn't tell what was wrong with Shen Bing.
In fact, not only could he not tell what was wrong with Shen Bing, but Fusu also believed that what Shen Bing said was right.
Perhaps this is the reason why Fusu is not used to it... His subconscious is still on Chunyu Yue's side. Shen Bing is right, which means that Chun Yuyue is wrong, so Shen Bing should be the enemy, at least mentally. enemy.
Then, Fusu saw many noble children gathered in the lobby to copy...
During this period, those who could read were basically aristocratic children, and if there were exceptions, they were Confucians.
Although Confucianism at this time produced many pedantic great Confucians because of its immature and impractical ideas, its progress was in proposing the idea of "education without distinction".
The so-called "education without distinction" means that everyone can receive education regardless of high or low, virtuous or foolish.
This is great news in an era when the right to education is basically monopolized by the aristocracy, and ordinary people can only farm generation after generation, being exploited and oppressed.
As a result, many commoners became Confucian scholars to learn the principles of governing the country, and then were recommended to enter the officialdom and embark on official careers.
However, this situation is in the minority after all, and the vast majority of those gathered in the lobby are still aristocratic children... Shouchun surrendered completely, leaving behind many educated aristocratic children from the original Chu Kingdom.
Fusu asked in surprise:
"Why did the deputy gather them here to be tortured?"
Shen Bing replied:
"Young Master, I'm just copying some things. I'm not being punished."
But thinking about it, Shen Bing himself felt that their behavior was quite similar to when they were punished by the teacher when they were young.
Fusu took a "notice" and looked at it... to be precise, it should be a "leaflet."
I saw only a few small grid paintings with text on it, which roughly said that as long as the Chu people surrendered to the Qin army at the Huaihe River, they would get a field and a homestead, and they would have new agricultural tools for production, and they would be able to enjoy a better life.
Fusu couldn't help but laugh and said:
"Does the deputy general do this in hopes of persuading the people of Chu to surrender to Qin?"
Shen Bing replied:
"That's right. Young master, you think it's inappropriate?"
Fusu shook his head, shook the "leaflet" in his hand, and said with a slightly proud smile:
"If this thing can make the people of Chu surrender to Qin, why do we need to go on an expedition to repel hundreds of thousands of troops?"
"The deputy general took this matter too simply."
"The deputy general needs to know that if you want the people of Chu to surrender, the only thing you need is benevolence and virtue."
Shen Bing only smiled and did not answer.
He believed that Fusu should replace "benevolence" with two other words, "interest".
Countries talk about their interests, and the people also follow their interests, especially the people in the Central Plains countries who have no hatred of foreigners.